Cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus
A cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus includes a wafer handling chamber having a polygonal base including multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers as viewed in a direction of an axis of the wafer handling chamber. An angle A between two adjacent sides of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers is greater than an angle B which is calculated by dividing 360° by the number of the total sides consisting of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a semiconductor processing apparatus, and particularly to a cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus having a relatively small footprint.
2. Description of the Related Art
The number of wafers processed per unit time on a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (i.e., throughput) has been a major concern in semiconductor production in recent years. One way to improve this throughput is to increase the number of processing chambers attached to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and allow for parallel processing using these chambers, thereby increasing the number of wafers processed.
However, increasing the number of processing chambers will increase the floor area occupied by the apparatus (i.e., footprint) as long as the processing chambers are arranged horizontally on the same plane. In a limited space, this will reduce the number of apparatuses that can be installed. If the processing chambers are stacked vertically on top of each other, maintainability will decrease.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTo solve the problems mentioned above, the present invention provides a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus using a semiconductor wafer transfer chamber having a special shape where, in one embodiment, the semiconductor wafer transfer chamber that normally has a regular heptagonal base is deformed to a shape that increases the angle formed by two adjacent semiconductor wafer processing chambers so that even when the number of semiconductor wafer processing chambers increases, the increase in the total width of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus can be minimized. By increasing the angle formed by two adjacent semiconductor wafer processing chambers, the present invention also provides the secondary benefit of increasing the interval between the adjacent semiconductor wafer processing chambers and thereby improving the maintainability of these chambers.
By utilizing the aforementioned method, it becomes possible to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that minimizes the increase in the total width of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus even when the number of semiconductor wafer processing chambers is increased by arranging more processing chambers horizontally on the same plane for the purpose of improving the throughput.
For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the related art, certain objects and advantages of the invention are described in this disclosure. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
Further aspects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which follow.
These and other features of this invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of preferred embodiments which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention. The drawings are oversimplified for illustrative purposes and are not to scale.
The present invention will be explained with respect to preferred embodiments. However, the preferred embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention.
In an embodiment, the present invention provides a cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus comprising: a wafer handling chamber having a polygonal base including multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers as viewed in a direction of an axis of the wafer handling chamber, said multiple sides optionally including a blank side for maintenance, wherein each of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers is arranged perpendicular to a line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and a center of each side as viewed in the axial direction of the wafer handling chamber. In an embodiment, two adjacent sides of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers form an angle A (e.g., angle A3 in
In an embodiment, angle A may be 3% to 20% (including 5%, 10%, 15%, and values between any two numbers of the foregoing) greater than angle B. In the case where the polygonal base has seven sides, angle A may be 10% to 16% greater than angle B (e.g., A/B=1.13). In an embodiment, distance D1 may be 10% to 90% (including 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and value between any two numbers of the foregoing) greater than distance D2. In the case where the polygonal base has seven sides, distance D1 may be 50% to 80% greater than distance D2 (e.g., D1/D2=1.68).
In an embodiment, the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers form an angle C (e.g., angle A4 in
In an embodiment, the number of the total sides may be seven. In another embodiment, the number of the total sides may be five, six, eight, or more. However, when the number is small, the aforesaid modifications may not be easily accomplished or no significant advantages of such modifications may be realized. On the other hand, when the number is large, the footprint of the wafer handling chamber itself becomes large, and no significant advantages of increasing the number of wafer processing chambers may be realized.
In an embodiment, the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers may include one blank side for maintenance. For maintenance purposes, typically one blank side is provided. When the number of wafer processing chambers is large, more than one blank sides may be provided.
In an embodiment, the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers may include one blank side for maintenance which is located opposite the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers with reference to the axis of the wafer handling chamber.
In an embodiment, a distance W (e.g., distance W4 in
In an embodiment, the cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus may further comprise wafer processing chambers connected to the respective sides for wafer processing chambers except for one blank side for maintenance. In an embodiment, the cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus may further comprise wafer loading/unloading chambers connected to the respective sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers.
In an embodiment, the blank side for maintenance may be located opposite the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers, wherein outermost portions of the wafer processing chambers disposed between the blank side and the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers are aligned in a line (e.g., line a or b in
In an embodiment, at least one of the wafer processing chambers may be a plasma CVD reactor. In an embodiment, the wafer loading/unloading chambers may be load lock chambers.
Embodiments of the present invention are explained below in details by using the figures. It should be noted, however, that the present invention is not limited to these figures and embodiments.
Here, the only way to increase the throughput (number of wafers processed per unit time) of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus shown in
One problem here, however, is that the width of the apparatus will increase by installing four wafer processing chambers. The apparatus width W2 in the configuration shown in
According to this shape, although there is one blank side between the wafer processing chambers 2 and 3, the blank space between the wafer processing chambers 1 and 2 is small and so is the blank space between the wafer processing chambers 3 and 4. As a result, maintainability is reduced. With the wafer transfer chamber of a regular hexagon shape illustrated in
To address these problems, in one embodiment of the present invention the shape shown in
In other words, there are seven sides as with the regular heptagon configuration shown in
In addition, in an arrangement where the tips of the wafer processing chambers 1, 2 and tips of the wafer processing chambers 3, 7 respectively contact straight lines running parallel with the apparatus, as shown by the straight lines a, b in
The apparatus width W3 in the configuration shown in
In
As for the position of the blank side, providing the wafer processing chamber 1 between the wafer processing chambers 2 and 3 might present a problem regarding the maintainability of processing chambers. As long as this problem is removed, however, it is possible to provide the wafer processing chamber 1 between the wafer processing chambers 2 and 3, which will contribute to a further reduction of the apparatus width.
In
From the above, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus proposed by the present invention, designed to minimize the increase in the apparatus width even when the number of installed wafer processing chambers is increased, improves the throughput by permitting parallel processing using an increased number of wafer processing chambers and thereby allows for installation of a multiple number of the apparatus in a limited space without reducing maintainability.
In the present disclosure where conditions and/or structures are not specified, the skilled artisan in the art can readily provide such conditions and/or structures, in view of the present disclosure, as a matter of routine experimentation.
It will be understood by those of skill in the art that numerous and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be clearly understood that the forms of the present invention are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus comprising:
- a wafer handling chamber having a polygonal base including multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers as viewed in a direction of an axis of the wafer handling chamber, said multiple sides optionally including a blank side for interior maintenance, wherein the number of the total sides is seven,
- wherein each of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers is arranged perpendicular to a line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and a center of each side as viewed in the axial direction of the wafer handling chamber,
- wherein two adjacent sides of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers form a first angle measured between a line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and the center of one of the two adjacent sides for wafer processing chambers and a line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and the center of the other of the two adjacent sides for wafer processing chambers, wherein the first angle is greater than a second angle which is calculated by dividing 360° by the number of the total sides consisting of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers,
- wherein a first axis-to-side distance from the axis of the wafer handling chamber to each of the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers is greater than a second axis-to-side distance from the axis of the wafer handling chamber to each of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers,
- wherein an edge-to-edge distance which is a distance between an edge of the side for a wafer processing chamber next to one of the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers and an edge of the side for a wafer processing chamber next to the other of the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers is substantially the same as a length of the side for a wafer processing chamber located opposite the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers with reference to the axis of the wafer handling chamber, said edge-to-edge distance being greater than a length of each side for a wafer processing chamber except for the side located opposite the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers.
2. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the side for a wafer processing chamber located opposite the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers is a blank side for interior maintenance.
3. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising wafer processing chambers connected to the respective sides for wafer processing chambers except for one blank side for interior maintenance.
4. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising wafer loading/unloading chambers connected to the respective sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers.
5. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the wafer loading/unloading chambers are load lock chambers.
6. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers form a third angle measured between a line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and the center of one of the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers and a line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and the center of the other of the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers, wherein the third angle is smaller than the second angle.
7. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers include one blank side for interior maintenance.
8. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multiple sides include one blank side for interior maintenance which is located opposite the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers with reference to the axis of the wafer handling chamber.
9. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the wafer processing chambers is a plasma CVD reactor, and the wafer loading/unloading chambers are load lock chambers.
10. A cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus comprising:
- a wafer handling chamber having a polygonal base including multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers as viewed in a direction of an axis of the wafer handling chamber, said multiple sides including a blank side for interior maintenance,
- wherein each of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers is arranged perpendicular to a line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and a center of each side as viewed in the axial direction of the wafer handling chamber,
- two adjacent sides of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers form a first angle measured between a line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and the center of one of the two adjacent sides for wafer processing chambers and a line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and the center of the other of the two adjacent sides for wafer processing chambers, wherein the first angle is greater than a second angle which is calculated by dividing 360° by the number of the total sides consisting of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers and the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers,
- a first distance from the axis of the wafer handling chamber to each of the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers is greater than a second distance from the axis of the wafer handling chamber to each of the multiple sides for wafer processing chambers,
- wherein said cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus further comprises wafer processing chambers connected to the respective sides for wafer processing chambers except for one blank side for maintenance,
- wherein the blank side for maintenance is located opposite the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers,
- wherein multiple wafer processing chambers are disposed on both sides with respect to a center line passing through the axis of the wafer handling chamber and passing between the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers, and
- wherein outmost portions of the multiple wafer processing chambers on each side are aligned in a line parallel to the center line as viewed in the axial direction of the wafer handling chamber.
11. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the wafer processing chambers is a plasma CVD reactor.
12. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the number of the total sides is seven.
13. The cluster type semiconductor processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an edge-to-edge distance which is a distance between an edge of the side for a wafer processing chamber next to one of the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers and an edge of the side for a wafer processing chamber next to the other of the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers is substantially the same as a length of the side for a wafer processing chamber located opposite the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers with reference to the axis of the wafer handling chamber, said edge-to-edge distance being greater than a length of each side for a wafer processing chamber except for the side located opposite the two adjacent sides for wafer loading/unloading chambers.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 2, 2007
Date of Patent: Jun 24, 2014
Patent Publication Number: 20080210165
Assignee: ASM Japan K.K. (Tokyo)
Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa (Tama), Masaei Suwada (Tama), Takashi Hagino (Tama)
Primary Examiner: Karla Moore
Application Number: 11/681,668
International Classification: C23C 16/00 (20060101); H01L 21/00 (20060101);